My Pretender
by hg833
Summary: When Jarod is wounded he turns to them one man he hoped he'd never see again. Only to find out that even those you trusted completely have their secrets
1. Making the call

**Jarod...**

They had fallen for his Californian trap perfectly and everything had gone to plan. Right up until the point where one of Parker's Goons had actually managed to shot me as I lured them here. to the empty, unused garage where I'd spent 3 weeks setting up my next trap for Parker. Full of cowboy memorabilia and classic western movies

I lent against the wall trying to get my breath back. Closing my eyes and breathed slowly, I tried to focus on ignoring the pain attacking my right side. I'd been a doctor before and knew I couldn't fix this myself. The bullet hadn't gone through my shoulder and I knew it needed to be removed, and i was going to need surgery before infection set in or before I bleed out. moving quickly but carefully so i didn't cause the bullet to move again and cause some more serious damage. Fortunately I knew there was one person here I could trust enough to help me. Unfortunately i knew he was not going to like seeing me again. I grabbed my black leather jacket the pain exploding as i slowly manuvered myself into it. this i hoped, would help to hide the spreading blood. the first piece of material i saw, scrunched it up held against the wound. Taking a deep breath, i grabbed the bottom of the jacket with my right hand, using my left hand to pull the zip. Causing another round of pain to drive me to my knees. i moaned into my palm trying to stay quiet and once again trying to out focus the pain. breathing slowly i stood up just as i heard cars approaching. i picked up one of the leather riding I'd brought as props and stuck it in my mouth biting down hard on it as i slung my travel bag over my other shoulder. and moved to the back of the room.  
Keeping to the shadows I moved to watch the trio as they entered my latest hideaway. Watching silently as I carefully crept towards the hidden exit at the rear.

"After everything that just happened why are you still after him?" the older man asked softly "He knew about my mother Sydney, my mother! I can't let that go, not yet" she replied quietly.  
"Parker look at this" the older man said Jarod knew they had found the the small wheeled wooden horse with the photograph of Thomas. Stuck to the rider face.  
"Thomas," she gasped softly, "Oh Sydney, First it was my mother and now this. Are you still so sure you didn't raise a monster?"  
"Now now Miss Parker, you know everything Jarod does is for a reason"  
"Oh look he left another note" the younger man said. I could easily imagine the man reading the 'push play' post-it I'd stuck on the TV remote "NO! Don't touch that it'll be a..." She was cut off as the younger man pushed the play button on the DVD remote

"Do you know somebody called The Cowboy?"  
"The Cowboy?"  
"Yeah, the Cowboy. This guy, the Cowboy, wants to see you. Jason said he thought it'd be a good idea."  
"Oh, Jason thought it'd be a good idea for me to see the Cowboy. "  
"Well, should I wear my ten-gallon hat and my six-shooters?"  
"Well, should i wear my ten gallon hat and my six shooters?" The young man quoted in time with the movie. "Wow Sydney how did he know my favorite scene in Mulholland drive. "play that again Broots" The young man did as he was told and re-winded the movie.

"son of bitch, Sydney he knows something" she Grabbed the photo of Thomas and kicked the horse in frustration with those wicked black heels of hers. Not realizing the horse that was the trigger for the normal red notebook.

And as all the roller doors of the old parking lot came slamming down shut and locked, like the windows of the bank during robbery I'd gotten the idea from.

"Oh look he left another note" the younger man said. I could easily imagine the man picking up the postcard form Jason's homestead and ranch TA, with another post-it-note stuck to it.

Giddy up J.

"JAROD!" she screamed as the older man simply chuckled.

Forcing myself to walk the three blocks to the hospital. through the pain was becoming so unbearable my vision was had begun to blur. Knowing I'd be safe here and finally allowing myself to give into the pain as I collapsed against a silver Porsche in the staff parking lot. Remembering old conversation i just knew this was his down to the ground against it, carefully making sure not to leave any blood on it in case the trio might come across the evidence later. I grabbed my current phone from the bag and started dialing a number I'd never wanted to have to use again.

"What ?" came the gruff voice I had been dreading to hear.

"It's me," I heard the Doctors sharp gasp of surprise as he recognized my voice knowing that he thought he would never hear it again.

"I need your help." I started coughing then, tasting the blood in the breath i took, instantly i knew this meant the bullet had moved and now i was in trouble.

"Jarod? JAROD?..." he heard the voice yelled from the phone.

I couldn't hear the rest as his hand fell to road to weak to keep holding it up. murmuring quietly " I'm outside, by your car."


	2. Out of the blue

**...Dr Cox...**

"So help me Mary-Jane. If you actually pick up that remote there will be no closet in this entire hospital that you can hide in. Now hippty-hop on outta here. Because I'm sure somewhere in this hell hole there's a patient just dying to know if today's the day you kill someone."  
I sat up just in time to see him come out of yet another frustrating daydream.  
"And all the bunnies will have chocolate for thanksgiving."  
I growled at the young man, pointing towards the door and he, being the smart kid he was, flew through it.  
"Dude! that was harsh" I heard Gandhi tell me. Once again I growled but the surgeon stood where he was folding his arms across his chest.  
"Gandhi Gandhi" I said with a shake of my head.  
"You know you don't scare me Dr. Cox." He grinned childishly.  
I stood slowly wondering just what I could to the man that would put in the same closet Mary-Jane had just run off to. Naturally, that's when my phone decided to ring. And i just knew i didn't want to talk to the annoying being on the other end with the surgeon still standing there . So I decided on short and sweet. Literally.  
"You have type 2 diabetes and you can't eat cupcakes." I grinned evilly as the surgeon's bottom lip gave a little quiver and he flew outta here just as fast as Dorian had.  
Flipping the phone open I answered with a gruff "What!"

"It's me" was the reply. The shocked gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it. I didn't think I would ever hear that voice again. Had hoped it would stay that way, i thought to myself sadly.  
"I need your help." I stood silently waiting to hear what was coming, but the only thing I could hear was coughing, a very weak, labored and wet, sounding cough. The doctor in me already running my mind through the possibilities as I yelled down the phone.  
"Jarod? JAROD? What's going on?  
I stopped talking when I heard the bang of the phone being dropped. Pressing the phone as close as i could to my ear. I listened for any sign of life.  
"I'm outside, by your car."

I turned around instantly. The windows of this staff room just happened to look over that car park and sure enough I saw a dark haired figured against the car i adored so much. hanging up on Jarod, i quickly dialed the internal emergency number with the intention of sending an er medical team to the car park. But i found my finger hovered over the green call button, my finger realizing before i did. _'calling a med team without knowing what was wrong could be dangerous for both of us.__'_ I thought, as my brain caught up with my finger.  
I snapped my phone shut and raced out of room heading down the corridor to the stairs knowing that if Jarod had come here, to me, Something in his brilliant mind had gone wrong. I looked up quickly and came to a screeching halt in front of what, had been in my haste, a blurred and purple mass. Now I noticed that mass was a pissed of Carla in her usual purple scrubs.  
"Ahhhh What now Carla?"  
"Why are Bambi and Turk hiding in the closet?"  
I gave her the most annoyed, impatient look I could muster and simply replied "Cupcakes."  
"Are you insane?" she asked knowing full well what the answer would be.  
"No," I replied smugly "I'm a doctor. Now please? Get out of the way?"

Carla stepped aside murmuring something in Spanish. _'I just know I'm gonna be hearing about this later_. _But I had bigger problems right now.'_ I hurried past, walking as quickly as I could without attracting anymore attention then. I ran when I hit the stairway, down it I stopped at the and before exiting put on my best don't-mess-with-me-I'm-pissed face and ignored every comment thrown in my direction occasionally growling at an intern or two as I made my way to the Porsche. The medical possibilities still running through my head after that nasty coughing I'd heard. But nothing I'd thought was what I actually saw when I got to there. Jarod was sitting weakly against the car, covered in blood and arms laying limply by his sides.

Jarod looks at me with me with sad, pain filled eyes as i drop down beside him the doctor in me, running on auto-pilot and checking his vitals. "They're always shooting at me...," he coughed again much weaker than a few minutes ago. He tried to pull the zipper on his jacket, i touched his hand pulling it down myself, "For once they actually managed to hit you." I murmured in shock. As i stared at the blood soaked t-shirt as Jarod drew in a long labored breath and his eyes fell closed...


End file.
